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Infinity Ward admits CoD players aren't gamers

In a revelation that isn't news to anyone, but is interesting to hear from the horse's mouth, Infinity Ward producer Mark Rubin said in an interview with OXM, that he doesn't think there will be any big changes with the next-generation of Call of Duty games. Why? Because the fans of the game aren't hardcore gamers.

"It's kind of a weird, ironic thing to say," Rubin said "They aren't hardcore gamers, or even gamers, but they play Call of Duty every night. And those guys are going to continue to play regardless of platform. So I think not only will we continue to engage with that existing player base, but we'll take next gen and see how far we can go with it."

He didn't go as far as to describe them as casual gamers, but we know what he's talking about. I'm sure we all have friends with Xbox 360s and PS3s and the only real games they buy them for are Call of Duty and FIFA - or for you Americans, your comparable sports title.

Compare that to the average PC gamer, who may play a lot of League of Legends, but chances are they have experience in RTS games, or puzzlers, perhaps a few shooters thrown in the mix. Likewise a lot of console gamers are multi-faceted, but there's definitely a veneer of console casuals that stick to the jock-like titles: sports and the blockbuster shoot'em ups without much of a skill curve.

Ultimately Rubin said, Infinity Ward can't change that much about Call of Duty, or it would end up alienating its players base.

No. Someone who plays a large variety of games a large amount is a gamer. If you only play a few blockbuster games, no matter how much time you sink into a game, that doesn't make you a gamer. Who cares though? I'm a hardcore gamer. I work on designing games as a hobby (nothing commercial, just for myself). Personally, I don't have a problem with people who just enjoy CoD (even though I hate it). There's nothing wrong with that. The problem is when someone tells me they are a gamer, and I try to have a discussion with them, and it turns out their knowledge of gaming starts and ends at CoD. Just because you know about advil doesn't make you a doctor. So, just because you play one game a ton, doesn't make you a gamer. That's fine though. Who says you need to be?

So I used to play COD and yes, I liked it. (I started in MW2 which is still my favorite having never played the older ones) and then black ops. I tried MW3 and found it not to my tastes, the BO2 and still didnt like it. The first time I picked it up I had fun but after that it was just the same old game year after year. Then I tried Planetside 2 and never went back!

Eh, I think anyone who plays games for fun is a gamer. I'm not a COD fan, I prefer games with slightly longer story lines. In my eyes, a hardcore gamer is someone who challenges themselves in a game, for example nuzlocke challenges in pokémon, playing on (what do you know?) hardcore difficulty in multiple games WITHOUT dying hundreds of times, someone who really knows the ins and outs of a game, and can pick up a pistol and be good with it. Or can survive in Darksouls.
There, that ought to settle it.

Look at halo. Change the game too much and it fails. If it isn't broken don't fix it. You will never be able to please everyone. For the handful of ppl that are getting tired of the same game goodbye. More ppl will get involved and the ppl that use to play will cycle out. It's about money. Like I said Halo fell off because of too much change. As long as they are making an *** load of money on every game there will be no need to change the gameplay dramatically. I could honestly care less about how much it changes or doesn't . Seriously what more do ppl want? You can't really make it much more than it already is except add new weapons and streaks and perks which is what they do every new game. Gameplay wise I don't see how much they can really change it unless it just wont be call of duty anymore.

I don't like soldier-training games like CoD. Never did. I've enjoyed a few first person games; but they are all fantasy or sci-fi. I can agree with saying they aren't gamers. To me, a 'gamer' is someone who plays many types of video games, board games, and table top RPGs, like D&D. If you've only played poker, monopoly, and CoD, you're not a gamer, IMO.

I've been playing video games since I was about 6 and I admit I play cod and some of them are ok.
Ghosts wasn't great. But really I found his statement really messed up.
Our gamers aren't real gamers so were just gonna make the same **** over and over again and see how long we can get away with it. Wtf.
Video games should always be improving, changing, adding new ****. It just sounds lazy.
I really would like them to attempt to make a better campaign. Its super short for me and the fact that the antagonist takes a bullet... In a train... At the bottom of the ocean... And survives with enough strength to kidnap your character. I know it was meant to be a cliffhanger but it just felt ******* stupid...

CoD fans aren't gamers! they're proof that if enough ******* morons will **** $60 down the ******* drain, a ****** concept can be a cash cow. Some of my favorite franchises have been ruined because devs actually want to compete with this ****! They ruin gaming and discourage original and fun games when they put this **** out cockteasing other devs into making the same **** to dethrone the **** kings. Ghosts got the review the whole ****** franchise deserved a long time ago. Mediocre bullshit!

Most cod players aren't real gamers. To be a gamer you need to play multiple games of multiple genres. Not just the same game retextured and re sold every year. I only buy the new cods because it's a new title and it's still fun, but you don't need too much skill to play it.

Not really snobbery, just very different types of people arguing over the same label. As someone who loves all kinds of games, including board games, hobby games, p&p rpgs, computer games, and console games. And someone who dabbles in the many many sub-genre within them (except larp, but hey nobody honestly likes everything). I find I generally have no common ground with people who play CoD. They say they are a "gamer" I say I am a "gamer" but our interests, motivations, strengths and weaknesses, values, likes, dislikes, lifestyle, culture, and so on and so forth have NOTHING in common.
I think the point infinity was making was that they are in the business of making a "game" that appeals to the masses and have been successful at it, but they don't believe that they have really made converts of them into "gamers" (by their standard of the word) because if they broke formula and really mix things up or try something new(something they as "gamers" would probably desire to do), their customers would walk. Since that would only leave the niche "gamer" who probably already thinks little of them and their franchise they wouldn't have market base. A very astute observation.

H Ese Wars I completely agree. Numerous times playing COD I will compare games with other players and only very seldom do I see a library as broad and diverse as my own. I have seen lists that are exclusively fps games, every iteration of Call Of Duty and usually the Halo games as well. Also, these same people don't even play the campaigns. It's sad but true, there is no need to push the envelope when there is an audience out there that will dutifully buy each installment without question.

It may be all the same to everyone else who plays but to me, i'll agree that the mp and "special" game modes are the same in a way, each company does a good to decent job on keeping the campaign story relating to each expansion of the game titles and different between each differing game title and that alone is reason enough to get the next game coming out. And in reasoning with if they are "gamers" or not each individual has their own view as what a "gamer" is and is not so complaining your point means nothing when it isn't written in stone truth. I believe anyone who even decides to play a game now-a-days should be considered a gamer for even trying to play for how expensive each new system and all games are, and the only exceptions should be retards who feel the need to hack a game to easily allow all the rewards, that are supposed to be gained from hard work, to be used right from the start are lazy little ******* who need to sell everything they have and leave the gaming to the ones who appreciate what they get from the hard working companies that strive to bring more to the community. Feel free to add me on ps3 the name i use on here is my psn account name.

They are right to say that if they change too much then the game will alienate the fans with very poor adaptability. Which is unfortunately most of them. They don't understand the simple concept that is, if you want to play a game that is similar to the one you are playing now just keep playing the one you are playing now! You don't need 2 years invested in a game that isn't going to change in the slightest. But that is what people want, because frankly, they are idiots.
Ghosts has surprised me, they are trying more Sci-Fi, interesting game types, and weapons. I like it a lot. And I hope they keep it up. The people that didn't like that just went back to black ops 2 anyway.
I hope IW, Raven and Neversoft, continue to change CoD more, Ghosts was a start, but I'd love to see more. Awaiting the DLCs, we'll see how much they are invested in making changes. The first one didn't let me down, so let's see what they have coming up next.

CoD is a dying game in my opinion, sure I bought Ghosts praying it would be something new and exciting only to get the same exact game I played when I bought my first CoD game (bo1). Hell upon finishing the game I cant even get the satisfaction of "Ha I killed the bad guy and beat the game!" but instead "Ugh theres more to this **** sandwich you call a 'video game'?" The reason why people who play CoD arent gamers isn't because they aren't hardcore gamers, its because the series is more like a cattle ranch opening a new farm every year just to do the same exact thing. That's why I say enough. Ghosts will be my last CoD game, untill the day they decide to turn it into a game instead of what ever it is now.

The problem with this is that they seem to play, or at least have some other experience, with games that aren't call of duty. Perhaps they get their TF2 on later, or maybe play some rhythm heaven before cashing out from youtube or whatever. These statements are aimed toward the unseasoned battlers, the kinect screechers, the whiny nine-year-old children that call others noobs and **** for using a default pistol, then threaten to geolocate you and hunt you down after you kill them with said pistol. You're talking about fully grown people who have a job in it. Children don't care about it as an art, they care about it because it's gore and guns and atom bombs. Thank you, and TL;DR

if you play a narrow genre of games, like just FPS or sports titles and never anything else.
Then you are a casual gamer.
The amount of time spent playing is irrelevant
A kid doing grafitti is not an artist.
Humming a tune does not make you a musician.

Dont you people understand? Why should you care if others think youre a gamer or not?
As long as you are entertained playing the game its enough
Don't be ignorant to what is around you...
don't you see that you are complaining about something that can't be changed?
Those who play cod will keep playing it even with you telling that they are not gamers, they will disagree with you same way you would disagree if i told that most of you are acting like an 8 years old kid.

In my opinion if you like games , think about them at work and just cant wait to play them ,your a gamer , but a hardcore gamer is WAY different , its not the variety of games but the time invested in a short time frame that sets them apart . I have friends who have over 1000 hours in 1 skyrim profile , and i myself sunk 2000 hours in borderlands , hell if i could measure it i have atleast twice that on diablo 2 ... my point is we are all gamers but hardcore is a title that is earned by 19hr+ straight gaming sessions 7 days a week ,for weeks/months because you are truely and totally encapsulated by the game so much ,that you put off real life stuff just for gaming . there are alot of hardcore gamers but there are far too many casual gamers who think there hardcore but haven't earned that title.. if you game less than 50 hours a week your casual... not an insult just a fact

What you described as a "hardcore" gamer is what I would call an "obsessive" gamer- Someone who spends an insane number of hours playing a select few games/genres.
In a nutshell, a hardcore gamer is one who plays a variety of games, talks a lot about gaming, plays "video" games in their head while at work/school/out and about, and amasses a large library of games (again, about variety.)

I once made a comment on a post that had pictures of girl gamers and on one photo of a girl wearing halo head gear I simply said "that's how I feel when I play c.o.d." I didn't know I got backlash on it. Some guy said "see Cristine is prime example of people who play one game as always c.o.d and thinks they're a gamer." 1. No where in my comment did I say I was a gamer. 2. I didn't say c.o.d was the only game I have or play. I play god of war, batman, gta, and need for speed to name a few. I play c.o.d a lot more then the other games because I like the multiplayer gameplay. I have three different consoles and two different devices. Now does that make me a gamer because from what I understand to be even considered a gamer you seriously have to have no life and play video games all day every day until you have screens for eyes, sitting in your own filth, and drooling. And now this guy is gonna tell me that people who play league of legends are considered gamers because it's on a computer. That doesn't make sense. I figured as long as you play on a regular basis and know your games then you'd be considered a gamer. Not that I'm fighting to be given a title but I'm just saying when did being called a "gamer" come with some specifics and job like qualities.

In the same post you try point out you didn't say you were a gamer, try to prove you are a gamer, and throw backhanded stereotype insults at them. HA, worry not, being considered a gamer is the least of your problems. You are a hardcore rager.

Okay so, what qualifies as a hardcore gamer? If you play PC, console and play everything from D3 to Cod, from Mario to Zelda, from League of Legends to The Witcher, From RTS, MMORP or sports. How do you define hardcore gamers?

Basically what you say! A "hardcore gamer" in my eyes is someone who plays a range of games, genres and maybe even platforms... I for one own every single cod, need for speed and a good few fifas on Xbox but love to play pokemon and Mario on a hand held device. To top it all off I might play a sandbox game or RTS like starcraft on the PC.

I bought Ghosts and felt I just bought the same ****... AGAIN!!! Visuals are better but it is the same old **** and anything kind of new isn't worth it!! That is why i bought BF4 and I haven't played multi-player yet because I can't stop playing the campaign! LOL BF might be the same to any of you but I had never played it so it is a very new experience for me.

Ok, i own Black Ops, Black Ops 2, and Ghosts, i like them, i admit it. i love the zombies mode and extinction at the most. but i think they get repetetive. for example:
SEARCH AND DESTROY! 1 LIFE! RUN LIKE A DUMBASS WITH A SHOTGUN! KILL! YES!
Team Deathmatch: run with a gun, shoot, kill
capture the flag: run with a gun, shoot, kill, don't go for objectives or camp at objectives to kill the players that are actually playing the game mod.
same thing with Halo yet i own all of them for the story, i know they are the same crap alot of times but i like Halo's story, got good background, good character development (for some of them), and a good ending in Halo 3.
but i don't just play those two, i play games like pokemon, kingdom hearts, Uncharted, Gears of War, Resident Evil, Red Dead Redemption, Super Smash Bros (been playing since t came out for nintento 64, so *****, you must be a ******* kid, easily entertained.) mario-kart,Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, all kinds of games. CoD, it's ok, but i can only handle an hour of online at the most before i get bored to the point where i actually fall asleep in matchmaking on it, same thing with alot of online games. so please, for the love of ******* god, FIND MORE GAMES YOU DUMBASS! MINECRAFT AND CoD ARE NOT THE ONLY GOOD GAMES OUT THERE!

That's bullshit. I don't even play CoD and I'm not one to go to bat for it, but anyone who plays any game on a consistent basis is a gamer. Be it candy crush, battlefield, or world of Warcraft. This ridiculous elitism created by game players with a superiority complex is nothing short of a insult to the entire gaming community. Somehow it makes me better that I enjoy playing more diverse games then someone who has a great time playing just one? Really? Does anyone else realize how stupid that sounds?

Thank you. What is being said (as the general consensus), in these comments, is beyond retarded. Maybe all these "hardcore gamers" really did rot their brains playing video games, lol.
If you play a video game(s) for an extended period of time, and do so on a daily or almost daily basis, then you're a hardcore gamer. Sure, there are also hardcore gamers who play every single title that get's released, but there are also casual gamers who play quite a large majority of them as well. The difference is the time spent, and the skill acquired.
Let's say you have someone who plays a **** load of games, is average at just about all of them, and only spends a few hours a week playing, then you have a guy/gal who is pro at one game, and therefor spends most of their waking hours playing that.
Which one is the hardcore gamer?
Beings I see that most of you are fairly slow, and are probably having a hard time deciphering that enigma, I'll give you a hint: it's the second one.

lol sorry dude but anyone that just plays candy crush is no gamer. that is like calling yourself a gamer for farmville. on a side note i have play CoDs before, but after black ops i got really bored with them. i felt that diving was a big inovation to the game and MW3 came out and took it away lmao. dumb dumb dumb.

I admit that I play COD, but Ghost sucked, so I'll only buy Treyarch's games unless they slip up. But I do play alot of other games, and I play more of other games like fallout, gta, borderlands, dead island, and alot of other titles more than cod which i usually played until i reached 1st or 2nd prestige + campaign and zombie

These stupid fans are why I hate CoD (and Minecraft) they treat these games like theyre the best ever, and when people say they aren't, they have a **** fit. CALM THE **** DOWN! It's A ******* GAME NOT YOUR CHILD

These stupid fans are why I hate CoD (and Minecraft) they treat these games like theyre the best ever, and when people say they aren't, they have a **** fit. CALM THE **** DOWN! It's A ******* GAME NOT YOUR CHILD